Is the 8-seater minivan free on National Day expressways?
2 Answers
From October 1st to 7th, only small passenger vehicles with 7 seats or fewer are eligible for toll-free travel, while 8-seat vehicles are charged as usual. Implementation scope of holiday toll exemption: The toll-free period applies during four national statutory holidays: Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, and National Day, as well as the consecutive holidays determined by the State Council's official documents for these statutory holidays in the current year. The free period starts at 00:00 on the first day of the holiday and ends at 24:00 on the last day of the holiday (for ordinary roads, the time is determined when the vehicle passes the toll lane of the toll station; for expressways, the time is determined when the vehicle exits the toll lane of the exit). Regulations on the management of toll roads: For expressways and other closed toll roads, except for the entrances and exits at both ends, no toll stations shall be set up on the main line. However, this does not apply to cases where it is indeed necessary to set up toll stations between provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities directly under the central government.
I've been driving a van for over ten years, often using highways for cargo delivery. The National Day toll-free policy only applies to vehicles with 7 seats or fewer. An 8-seater is definitely not free. Last year, when I took my family's 8-seater Jinbei van on the highway, the toll station staff clearly stated that payment was required. The policy documents explicitly state that the toll-free scope is limited to passenger vehicles with 7 seats or fewer—one extra seat exceeds the standard. Even though such vans usually have lower tolls than trucks, they are still subject to charges during holidays. I recommend preparing your ETC or cash in advance and not trying to exploit loopholes. Also, be aware that inspections are stricter during the toll-free period, and overloading will be heavily penalized.
